Toy steering wheel and gearshift



Dec. 15, 1953 SOLOMON 2,662,341

TOY STEERING WHEEL AND GEARSHIFT Filed April 21, 1952 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY STEERING WHEEL AND GEARSHIFT Louis Solomon, Chicago, 111., assignor to Hyman A. Lubin and Samuel V. Adelman, as trustees, under a certain trust agreement dated October 31, 1942, made by Louis and Edna Solomon as settlers, for the benefit of Howard Donald Solomen and Gary Bruce Solomon Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,369

Among the objects of my invention is to pro vide a toy removably attachable to the instrument panel of an automobile so as to simulate the steering and gear shifting of the automobile, without danger to the car or the user of the toy.

A child greatly enjoys imitating the movements of his father in driving an automobile. It is always a great temptation for the child to take hold of the steering wheel and thus possibly cause injury and damage. With my device the child may copy the movements of his father or other driver in both steering the car and in shifting of the gears. This will satisfy the childs desire for play, and at the same time afford him instruction, to some degree, in driv- My toy is also adapted to be attached to other surfaces such as a bath tub, so that the child may imagine that he is driving a motor boat with desired turns and gear shiftings. My toy may also be removably attached to the floor so that the child may stand and imagine he is driving a tractor. There are other uses for my toy, of a similar nature, which may afford the child safe play and constructive education.

Another object of my invention is to provide a horn or beeper construction which will not break or allow the horn button to slip out of place and become lost, thereby providing greater durability, increased play value and enhancing the eye appeal of the toy.

Still another object of my invention is to sup ply a construction permitting free turning of the wheel by the smaller children without binding or twisting the post, thereby providing greater freedom of movement in play and closer approach to the feel of actual driving.

My invention also contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities which will later more fully appear, and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the attached drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of my toy; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view; Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the hub showing the floor; Figv 5 is a top plan view showing the other elements in the hub; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the hub on line l--'l of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the hub with certain interfitting parts removed.

Referring more now to the embodiments selected to illustrate my invention, 1 provide a steering wheel H3, circular in shape and having spaced spokes H. The hub [2 has a lower reduced portion !3 with an open bottom 14 to removably receive the upper end of post 15. The lower end of post [5 is removably fitted in opening [6 of upper portion ll of suction cup Hi.

In place of suction cup !8, I may provide any other suitable means for removably attaching the lower portion of my toy to a support such as the instrument panel of any automobile, or the like.

Hub l2, preferably made of plastic, is hollow with side walls l9, a bottom floor and an open top 2!. Lower portion I3 which is integral with hub 12 has closed side walls 22, a closed top which is the underside of bottom floor 2d of hub I2, and open bottom 14. A metal fitting 23 has a closed top 26, closed side walls and an open bottom 25 and is of such a size as to be pressed into lower portion [3 and remain in contact therewith, with its top 24 contacting the under surface of floor 20 and its side walls 25 in friction grip with side Walls '22 of lower portion IS.

A gear shift lever 2! has a ball 28 attached to the outer end of rod 29. The inner portion of rod 29 extends through slot 30 in one of the side walls 19 of hub l2 and rests on floor 20. At opposite ends of slot 312, spaced stop members 3! and 32 extend diagonally inwardly from the side walls [9. Corresponding spaced stop members 33 and 34 extend diagonally inwardly from opposite side walls l9. Between stop members 3| and 32 are spaced raised members 35 and 35 on floor 20, and between stop members 33 and 34 are spaced raised members 3i and 3B. A resilient pin 39 extends upwardly through top 24 of metal fitting 23, opening 49 in floor 2i! and rod 29 of gear shift lever 23. When the user applies side movement to ball 28, rod 29 moves over the raised portion to the stop members in either direction to simulate gear shifting.

A metal plate 43 has a flat bottom 42 and three spaced punched up contact portions 43 on its upper surface at. Metal plate M rests with its bottom 52 on the top edges of stop members 3|, 32, 3'3 and 34. Said top edges are higher than rod 29.

A sound producing member 45 comprising a rounded bellows 48 with a reed 41 has its fiat bottom positioned on the upper surface 44 of metal floor M and is positioned by contact portions 43. A button 48 having a rounded dome portion 49 and aperipheral flange 50 is positioned on top of bellows 46. A cold rolled steel ring 5! having side walls 52 and a top inward flange 53 is pressed into hub 52 with its side walls in friction grip with side walls IQ of hub l2. Flange 53 of ring 5| is positioned above flange 56 of button 48, and prevents its displacement and loss and that of bellows 46 and plate ll. This insures that the child will not accidentally knock oif the horn button as has been heretofore possible. This solves the problem of the child endeavoring and often failing to get the horn button back in place and losing the same as well as the bellows, with consequent frustration of spirit and the destruction of that part of his or her toy.

With my improved metal fitting 23 having smooth inner side walls, the wheel may freely rotate on the post. There is no binding as heretofore with slow laborious turning of the wheel and twisting of the post and even the suction cup. Frustration of the child in this feature is now eliminated and actual turning of the wheel as in real driving is more closely approximated for the childs education and entertainment.

In operation of the toy the child may turn the steering wheel to simulate steering motions, and may move the gear shift lever to simulate the speeds of an automobile, motor boat, or the like, and touch the horn button to warn traffic.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A steering wheel and gear shift toy comprising a wheel having spokes and a hub, said hub havin an open top, closed side walls, a bottom floor, and a lower portion, said lower portion having closed side walls and an open bottom, a metal member fitted within the open bottom portion of said lower portion and having smooth side walls and an open bottom, a post with its upper end extending through the open bottom portion of said metal member and removably engaging the smooth side walls of said metal member, whereby said wheel is freely rotatable on said post, a member for attaching the toy to a desired support removably attached to the lower end of said post, a gear shift lever rod having a ball at its outer end, said hub having a slot in one of its side walls, the inner portion of said rod extending through said slot and positioned on the bottom floor of said hub, a pin extending through said metal member and said rod, a pair of stop members at the side edges of said slots, another pair of stop members correspondingly opposite said first stop members, a pair of raised portions between each of said pairs of stop members, said rod adapted on side movement being applied to said ball to pivot on said pin over said raised portions and between said pairs of stop members to simulate gear shifting, a plate positioned on the top edges of said stop members, said top edges being higher than said rod, said plate having a plurality of spaced punched up contact portions a noisemaking bellows positioned on said plate, between said contact portions a button positioned over said bellows at the open top of said hub, said hub having a peripheral flange, a metal ring pressed within said hub and having side walls adapted to fit against the side walls of said hub by friction grip, said ring having a top inwardly extending flange positioned above said button and adapted to engage the fiange of said button and prevent said button from accidental displacement from the toy.

LOUIS SOLOMON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,206,454 Manson Nov. 28, 1916 1,604,750 Grubman Oct. 26, 1926 2,384,412 Woods Sept. 4, 1945 2,581,976 Solomon Jan. 3, 1952 

